The present invention relates to a method for photofinishing of photographic film, and more particularly to a photofinishing method which uses various recorded data regarding recording of image frames for a printing operation.
When a laboratory receives an order from a customer for processing a 35 mm negative film after exposure, a developed filmstrip is cut into film pieces of a predetermined length, e.g. of six image frames each, inserted in a film sheath, and given back to the customer together with photographic prints printed from this filmstrip.
However, it is inconvenient to handle or preserve film pieces which are cut to a predetermined length, because the film pieces cannot be folded to a smaller length, although the amount of space necessary to contain the filmstrip can be reduced by containing the film pieces in the film sheath. Using film pieces of a predetermined length also is inefficient because an additional process is necessary to insert the film pieces in the film sheath, besides the process of cutting a filmstrip into shorter film pieces of a predetermined length corresponding to the film sheath in the laboratory.
Improved systems have been proposed, including a system for developing the film cassette with the filmstrip being wound in the film cassette thereafter, and a system for separating the filmstrip from the film cassette before development, after which the filmstrip is rewound into the film cassette. The first system is deficient in requiring a rack-and-tank type developing process. The necessary construction for entering the filmstrip into a number of tanks results in low filmstrip processing speed, a massive processing machine, and frequent irregularity in development. The second system includes a motion-picture-film type developing process with elongated negative film spliced into a great number of filmstrips, and thus is not as inconvenient as the first system. However, it would be difficult to reinsert the filmstrip into the film cassette after development if the film cassette is deformed or broken while a user uses the film cassette. It is necessary either to use a more solid film cassette, or to improve a filmstrip reinserting mechanism in the processing machine. As a result, manufacturing the film cassette is more expensive, and the processing machine acquires a massive and complicated structure.
As is known in the art, there are methods for recording data when taking a photograph, such as a date, a time, a shutter speed and an f-number, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications Nos. 51-117632, 64-6933, 63-201645, 49-74019, 55-101932, and 54-2115, and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-188644, inter alia. There are methods for recording data, at photograph taking time, regarding illuminating light, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications Nos. 51-117632 and 52-30429, inter alia, and methods for recording trimming data, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications Nos. 63-298233 and 64-21432, inter alia. There also are known methods for recording characters indicating a user or a kind of subject, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications Nos. 50-30517, 55-101932, and 54-2115, inter alia. The image recording data as described herein is recorded on an area of the filmstrip outside the image frames, a data recording portion formed on the peripheral surface of the film cassette, or the like. However, there is a problem in failure to utilize the image recording data sufficiently, because a film cassette is abandoned at developing time with the data recorded on the film cassette.